Israel to release activists from Gaza aid flotilla

Two activists detained by Israeli authorities after the interception of their Gaza-bound aid flotilla will be released “today,” human rights organization Adalah said on Saturday.

The Israeli Security Agency informed Adalah of the activists’ impending release on Saturday and the non-profit organization is “closely monitoring to ensure their release,” Adalah said in a statement.

Saif Abukeshek, a Spanish-Swedish citizen, and Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian national, are expected to be deported in the coming days after being released from security detention.

The activists were part of a ⁠Global Sumud Flotilla — launched from Spain on April 12 and bound for Gaza — which was intercepted by Israeli authorities in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea earlier this month.

Following the interception, the activists were brought to Israel where they were detained for questioning, leading Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares to accuse Israel of conducting an “illegal detention in international waters.”

Albares on Saturday confirmed that the Israeli authorities will release Abukeshek “in the coming hours,” according to Spanish media reports.